The Effect of Endoscopic Administration of Autologous Porcine Muscle-derived Cells Into the Urethral Sphincter

Precise injection of human mesenchymal stromal cells in the urethral sphincter complex of Göttingen minipigs without unspecific bulking effects

“…Therefore, studies employing large animal models complementing the experiments performed with rodents are important to investigate the therapeutic potential of cells under anatomically more relevant conditions. Some animal studies employed dogs to generate incontinence and to inject cells, others established incontinence in pigs and investigated cellular regeneration in this model . Urinary leak point pressure or urethral pressure profiles can be determined in these large animal models using standard clinical instruments.…”

Limited accuracy of transurethral and periurethral intrasphincteric injections of cellular suspension

“…Although these animals have not been previously used for testing of intraurethral cell therapy, we have demonstrated that caprine female urethra and EUS have similar parameters to those reported in women . Our group has experience in working with pigs and dogs, and we postulate that goats are the most adequate large experimental quadreped animals for testing of intraurethral manipulations. An interesting alternative could be minipigs used by Amend et al but the porcine female urethra (even in minipigs) is much longer than in humans, which creates different conditions for needle insertion both in peri‐ and transurethral injections.…”

“…The data coming from this preliminary group helped in verifying the reliability of our results obtained at 28 days time point. Moreover, we have previously demonstrated that cell depots could be clearly identified 4 weeks after intraurethral injection in a porcine model . We hypothesized that choosing 28 days as a time point for termination of the experiments in the main part of the study would allow for analysis of both the precision of cells delivery and the graft differentiation and integration (the second aspect is beyond the scope of this publication).…”

“…One of them can be insufficient precision of cell delivery. It was shown, that myoblasts injected in the urethral submucosa do not migrate but rather stay at the injection site . It is difficult to expect that at such location they can support urethral musculature.…”

“…It was shown, that myoblasts injected in the urethral submucosa do not migrate but rather stay at the injection site. 4 It is difficult to expect that at such location they can support urethral musculature. Therefore, it seems that in order to restore sphincter strength by cell therapy, the depots should be administered into this muscle.…”